Method and apparatus for loading aircraft



D. V. SEEVERS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING AIRCRAFT June 15, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1942 INVENTOR D0/v V. SEE vms WWZ-MW ATTORNEY June & D. V. SEEVERS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING AIRCRAFT Filed May 22, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E J 5 NM 1 n J m Y My @1 Q m M m m Patented June 15, 1948 ATENT oFFICE '-1VIE'J.HO]) D APPARATUS FGR- LOADING CRAFT Don -V. 'Seevers, Wilmington,"])l. 'assignor to:- All American Aviation, Inc.,"--Wi1mington,'iDel., a corporation' of' Delaware Application-May 22, 1942; Serial N0.444,129

IYIhe invention relates to aviationeandmore particularly tohsupplyingiuel or other .fluid to an aircraft while-in flight.

A Itis welliknown that. oneoi the factors limitingsthe. maximum load carrying capacity of .an airplane is its'ability to take 'offand that-a plane can. carry a. heavier load when .inflight-th'an it can take on with from the regular airports. According-to the present invention, it is .proposed that-the plane be "filled with only. a limited amount .of iueleprior to take-off. so that it can take of! with a-heavierpay-loadand then, after the plane has acquired flying speed and is in full flight, it. is proposed to supply it with the necessary fuel. H Further, an-airplane can greatly extend the-load whichit can transport ifapart of that :load isv .in -a., glider towed by the aircraft. Thus,. if the. glider is loaded with fuel, and means provided for transferring-the fuel to:t-he,plane, the ordinary cruising range of theairplane-can be extended.

According to the. invention, itais proposed to launch tanker .gliders carrying reservoirs of gasoline for-supplying an'airplane :in flight. .-Any desired method may be used for launching the gliders. :For example, the plane whichwis tube fueled may be used. to pick up-and launch the grounded @gliderafter the plane =-l'-1as acquired flying-speed. Or, the glider may be launched :by separate launching means,

According to-a-preferred form of thel'inven- .tion, the glider,-in addition to having a large gasoline tank, may be provided with awinchand a hose reel. -The winch: has a line wound thereon by which contact .is 'madebetweentheplane -to-befueled/and: the glider. The hose reel may have flexible hose wound thereonand a suitable clampingdevice may connectthe-end of the .hose .andethe-line, by which the hosemay be drawn from: thecglider-to the fuel tank of the, plane. Suitable devices may be provided for paying out andreeling in-the line independently of the hose prior, paying out and reeling in the hose and line-together. If desired,-t-heWinch-may have vautomatic braking wdevices thereon tor .auto- .matically exerting a 1 predetermined ,spull on v the linewwhile paying it out for the purpose of-.uti1iz- .ing this line for-picking up a'stationary gliderby the plane in flight.

The invention. also consists in certain new and original *features'of construction 1 and combinations. of partshereinaftenset forth and claimed.

advantages, and the manner. in which i it may be carried out, may-Joe better-understood 'by referring' to the following description taken in connection' withthe accompanying drawings forming a part thereof; in-which Fig. 1 represents diagrammatically the relative "positions ofthe-glider and" plane while the glider is feeding fuel to the plane.

"*FigFZ isa longitudinal vertical section through the*glidenillustr'ating the position of thefuel tank; the automatic'-win'ch, the hose reel and the controls.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal plan se'ction'taken through the' glider,

Fig. 4 is atran'sverse section through thehose reel.

Fig. 5 :is a section through the hose reel taken on the line*' 5-'=5;Fig:4.

Fig, 6 is "a detail of the guillotine device'for cutting the: line andi'hosevim an emergency.

In'the' following description arid inthe claims, various" details willhe identified by specific names for convenience; buti theyare intended tobe as 'genericf-in 'their application as'the artwill permit.

"'Ilike reference=charactersidenote like parts in the several figuresof'theidrawings.

in ii the f drawings ziaccompanying' and forming part of this i specification, certain specific disclosure'of the invention" is 'maLdefor purposes of explanation, but 'it'- will be understood that the deta'ils'may be'modified "in various respects without departurefrom the broad-aspect of the inven'tlon.

"Referring-now to thedrawings, and. more particularly'toFigs. 1, 2-' and 3,"the' plane to be 'iue'led is indicated-by I0 and the tanker glider is indicated by" l I. The glider and its'fuelillg apparatuswill firstbe described. The glider H comprises a'iusela'ge I 2 having a nose I3, wings I l, skids'l5'and ground wheel 16. It will be understood that the' "glider may be of any common construction but of' sufficient size to carry 'a 'largetank offuel's'u'ch as gasoline or Diesel oil. "The-gastankis' indicated by'll and has a fiIIer-capJ'B. The'pi'lots seat is indicated by 2?, the glider "being provided with a transparent windshield 28 at the pilots seat as will be understood by those skilled in the'a'rt.

:Ait'of thepilots. seat 21 isa winch l 9 compris- 'ingia'idruml'mmaving side fiangesi2 l' onwhich the line? 35- :is-wwcund. 'Ilheudrumfml is "journaled in supports. rand 23' securedto the framework of the-glider. Therwinch- 191s controlledby an electric motor 7 driving the winch through "reduc- :tion: gearing 25.

"For-evenly winding the .-1ine.35 on the winch I9, .acable threader isprovided. This threader comprises-a drumonscrew 26.-suitably.journaled in fram e. bearings 32 and 33 iandcarrying a traveler 3 I through which "the. line-'3 5.. passes. The screw 26 is driven by a sprocket mounted thereon and by a sprocket mounted on the main shaft of the winch I 9 which sprockets are connected by, a chain 34.

It will be understood that the cable threader may be of any ordinary construction and it'is V thought that the above description is sufficient I -both the line 35 and hose 31' together to enfor those skilled in the art. It will be understood 4 furthermore that the winch may be of anyor-' dinary construction permitting power-driven-ro tation in either direction so that .theline 35 may' tirely free the glider from the plane. This is accomplished merely by the pilot kicking the lever -12 to the right, Fig. 3. A similar guillotine device 164 may be provided on the airplane where the connecting line 35 and hose 3'! passes into it.

be paid out or taken in. If desired, the winch l9 may be of the automatic type disclosed in U. S.

Patent 2,373,414, in the name of Stuart C. Plum-' mer, which construction has provision forexert ing a predetermined braking effort on the line 35 while permitting it topay out.' The Plummer winch is particularly-desirable WhEl'l"lJh8 plane In is used for the purpose of launching the glider II. This winch acts to reduce shock when contact is made between the plane In in flight and the stationary glider II. In the aforementioned Plummer case the automatic winch is mounted upon the airplane, while in the present application the automatic winch would be mounted .on the glider. r

The automatic winch and the method zdisclosed in U. S. Patent 2,402,918,?inthe name of Arthur B; Schultz, may also be-used instead of winch l9 when the plane In is used to launch the glider. This patent is hereby-incorporated insofar as may be necessary to complete the disclosure.

The hose reel 36 has wound thereon a flexible hose 3! made of rubber or'any other suitable material; This reel, Fig.- 4, comprises flanges 38 mounted on hubs 39 and40 mounted within a.

sleeve 63 and the'entireassembly is held together by a series of rods 43. A pipe 44 is fixedly mounted in hub 40 and has connection 48 with the flexible hose 31. Pipe 44 communicates with stationary pipe through a slip joint 46, which'permits fluid to flow between pipes 44 and 45 while permitting the reel 36 to rotate. Pipe 45 is connected to valve 41, which in'turn is connected to pipe 6| extending to the bottom of gas tank [1. Valve 41 is connected to handle 4| by rod 42;

Hub '89 has pinned thereto a suitable shaft'49 on which is mounted sprocket 50 carrying a chain 5|, which extends to a sprocket, 56 loosely mounted on the main shaft of winch l9. Sprocket 56 forms part of a dog tooth clutch with clutch section 51 feather-keyed on the main drive shaft of winch [9. Clutch section 51 has an annular groove in which rides a collar 58 having a pivoted connection with forked shift rod 59. Rod 59 is pivoted to fulcrum 66 and is iconnected to bell crank 62 pivoted at 13 and in turn is connected to link 54 which is connected to hand lever 53. Thus the pilot may throw clutch 55 in or out by lever 53.

The line 35 and the hose 3'Iipass out through i the skin of'the glider-through'a channel 61 having an air bafile or deflector 16, which deflects the air stream clear of the'channel 61 to prevent air from entering the glider through this opening.

Mounted upon the channel 61 is a guillotine knife '64 for the purpose of cutting line 35 and hose 31 in an emergency. The channel 6! has a support 66 carrying studs 69 (see also Fig. 6). Slidably mounted on support 66 is a blade 65 having slots 10 embracing the studs 69. A pivoted lever l2, engages under shoulder ,l5 on blade 65 and positively prevents the springs H, which op- The ordinary glider controls for maneuvering the glider are omitted for sake of clearness. In addition to these standard controls the following additional controls are provided: Handle 4| opens and closes gas valve 41. Handle 53 engages and disengages clutch 55 to drive or release hose reel 36. Valve 11 is provided to open and close the hose fitting 18 on the end of hose 31. A clamp 79 is provided for releasably clamping the fitting 18 to line 35. When clamp 19 is opened, line 35 may slide freely through it without pulling hose 31. When clamp 13 is tightened, the pulling out of line 35 from the glider pulls hose 3'! along with it. For controlling motor 24, suitable electric de vices are provided. Battery 62 is connectedby wiring 8i and 83 to electric control 86 by means of which the winch [9 may be rotated to draw in line 35 or to pay it out and, if desired, at variable speeds.

One technique for utilizing the glider and its apparatus will now be described. Assuming that the glider is resting on the ground, it will befllled with gas and the valves 41 and 71 will beclosed, The clutch 55 will be open, the clamp ill will be open, and the electric switch will be inneutral position with the winch l9 stationary. U

The glider may be launched in any desired way by any well-known method. I

If desired, the glider may be launched in any of the ways disclosed in U. S. Patent 2,402,918, in the name of Arthur B. Schultz. V

The plane In to be fueled may act as the launching plane or a separate launching plane may be provided. In either event the glider with its tank full of fuel will be maneuvered to a sufficient height to permit carrying out the fueling I operation'with convenience and safety.

' The plane ill to be fueled will now be loaded with the full desired'pay-load and will take .015 with a limited amount of gasoline, the remaining gas to be added after it is in flight. Y

The plane I0 and glider II will be maneuvered in the 'air so that the plane occupies a position conveniently under the glider. The glider pilot will then operate winch I 9 to pay out line 35 without hose 31. The line 35 will be engaged by an operator in the plane Land wound upon a suit,- able Winch (not shown) in the plane. This winch will take in the line 35 While winch l9 pays it out. If desired, sufficient tension may be mainhose 3'! along with line 35. The fitting 18 is thus 7 carried into the plane l6 whence it is connected with the filler cap (not shown) of the gas tank of the plane. At the proper signal, the valve 11 will be opened by the fueling operator in the plane l0 and the valve 41 will be openedby the glider pilot, permitting gasoline to flow by gravity from the reservoir tank I! into the tank of the Plane l9.

After the plane I0 is fueled, upon proper signal the valves 11 and 41 will be closed and the fitting 18 will be disconnected from the gas tank of the plane I0. Upon proper signal the plane winch will unwind line 35 and the glider pilot will operate switch 80 to reel in line 35 and operate lever 53 to reel in hose 31. Line 35 and hose 3'! may be reeled up so as to be drawn entirely within the glider, after which the glider may be maneuvered to land in any well-known way on the landing field. The plane I'fl now contains a full supply of fuel and a full pay-load.

Thus, a method and apparatus is disclosed which materially improves the operation of aircraft. The invention is particularly advantageous with heavy transport planes used for carrying either persons or freight. The plane may be loaded with its full desired pay-load while on the ground and with only sufficient gasoline to temporarily fly it. Thus, the danger from fire resulting from any accidental crash of the airplane during take-off is materially reduced because of the greatly reduced amount of gasoline in the plane tank. Furthermore, a greatly increased pay-load may be carried because of the lightening effect of the greatly decreased gasoline which in turn decreases the critical take-off weight.

The use of a glider for carrying this fuel instead of an auxiliary powered plane greatly reduces the fire hazard because of the absence of an engine. A glider capable of carrying heavy loads can be conveniently launched and will maintain flight for many hours, if necessary, once it acquires sufficient flying height. It is a comparatively simple matter to establish connection between the glider and the plane and to fill the plane tanks with fuel while flying. Two or more gliders may be provided, if one is insufficient, for the purpose of completely filling the fuel tanks on the plane. The presence of large fuel tanks on the glider also has the advantage that, when empty, these tanks constitute effective floats for keeping the glider afloat if it is necessary to come down on water. The use of a connecting line in addition to the hose removes strain from the hose and permits the plane to tow the glider if desired while fuel is being transferred.

It is obvious that if desired other materials, such as water instead of fuel, may be supplied during flight. In case the pay-load in a freightcarrying transport constitutes an easily fiowable and non-inflammable substance, the transport plane may be launched with its entire fuel supply and part or all of the pay-load supplied while in flight.

Another use to which such an apparatus and method might be put would be refueling enroute. Thus, the aircraft would take off with its full load and the glider with its full load and the glider would be towed by the airplane for a part of the journey. The fuel could be transferred from the glider to the aircraft as it approached a point where its own fuel was exhausted. The glider could then be cut loose, if over suitable terrain. Otherwise it could continue to be towed and would create less drag on the aircraft due to its reduced weight.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein, and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for supplying fuel to aircraft comprising, a glider, a fuel tank on said glider, a reel and a winch on said glider, a line wound on said winch adapted to be engaged by the craft to which fuel is to be supplied, a hose wound on said reel and having connection with said fuel tank, clamping means for clamping said hose to said line whereby, by paying out said line from said glider and taking it up on said craft, said hose may be joined to said craft, a source of power and braking devices connected to said winch for controlling the rotation of said winch, and a controllable power transfer device between said Winch and said reel.

2. In the fueling of an aircraft having an engine and a fuel tank, the method involving the use of a glider having manually operable controls, a fuel tank, and a hose connected to said fuel tank and mounted on a reel, said method comprising the steps of: first, partially filling said fuel tank in said aircraft while the latter is grounded, operating said aircraft to cause it to take off and acquire flying speed, filling said fuel tank in said glider with fuel, picking up said glider by said aircraft, manipulating the controls of said glider to cause it to be air borne, further manipulating the controls of said glider to cause it to assume a flying positions above the aircraft, operating said reel and hose to establish a conductive connection between said fuel tank in said glider and said fuel tank in said aircraft, and transferring fuel from said tank in said glider to said tank in said aircraft under gravity action.

3. In the fueling of an aircraft in flight from a glider having manually operable controls, a loaded fuel tank, and a supply hose connected to said fuel tank and mounted on a reel, the method comprising the steps of: picking up said glider by said aircraft, manipulating said controls to cause said glider to be towed by said aircraft and assume a positive thereabove, connecting said supply hose to said aircraft, simultaneously operating said controls and said reel to cause said glider and aircraft to maintain the relative positions in which the glider is above the aircraft, causing fuel to flow from said tank in said glider through said supply hose to said aircraft, and thereafter casting loose said glider from said aircraft.

DON V. SEEVERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,685,927 Miller Oct. 2, 1928 1,728,449 Procofieff-Seversky Sept. 17, 1929 1,806,833 Ullendorif May 26, 1931 2,102,604 Arndt Dec. 21, 1937 2,124,867 Akerman July 26, 1938 2,261,598 Tyson Nov. 4, 1941 2,399,215 Fahrney Apr. 30, 1946 FGREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,921 Great Britain 1914 369,228 Great Britain Mar. 16, 1932 798,180 France Mar. 2, 1936 OTHER REFERENCES Publication: The Aeroplane of Nov. 15, 1940, pages 552 to 555; article by Fitzwilliams. 

